Chaz Bono Marries Shara Blue Mathes in Hollywood Wedding — Cher Watches From the Front Row
Forty years in the making. Chaz Bono, 57, married Shara Blue Mathes on March 8 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles — a ceremony People magazine covered exclusively, with his mother, Cher, seated front and center in the front pew as her son exchanged vows.
A Love Story That Started With a First Kiss
Bono and Mathes first met as teenagers at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in Hollywood. She was the first person he ever kissed — a moment he has called unforgettable.
Life separated them for decades. They reconnected through mutual friends in 2017 and began rebuilding their relationship. Nine years later, they made it official.
"I first met Shara more than 40 years ago when we were just teenagers," Chaz told People. "I think it's safe to say that not many grooms ultimately end up marrying the very first girl they ever kissed so many years later."
Hollywood Glam Formal, Purple Orchids, and a Calla Lily Boutonnière
The ceremony was styled as a Hollywood Glam Formal affair. Shara wore an A-line wedding gown with lacy sleeves and a scalloped neckline, a veil tucked into her curled dark hair, and carried a bouquet of purple orchids and red flowers. Chaz wore a classic black tuxedo with a black bow tie and a boutonnière that matched his wife's arrangement.
Cher attended in an all-black ensemble and watched her son dip his new bride for photos after the ceremony. The images, published by People, show her cheering from the aisle seat of the very first pew.
Shara Blue Mathes: Cancer Survivor, Social Worker, Stepmother
Mathes is not a public figure by design. She works in social services as a case manager for Housing Works, a role she has held since 2014.
In 2021, she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. During her treatment, Chaz publicly acknowledged her strength, writing on social media: "I think it somehow captures the incredible strength and dignity Shara's embodied throughout her breast cancer treatments this year."
She brings her 25-year-old son, Cooper, into the marriage, creating a blended family. Cher has embraced the relationship — the three appeared together publicly at the Beyond Fest premiere of Little Bites in October 2024, a film Cher and Chaz executive produced.
"We Are Home"
The quote Chaz gave People says everything about where he is. "She makes me feel complete knowing she will always be there beside me as partner, my best friend, and the love of my life. No matter what life brings us, we will always be safer and stronger together — and we are home."
The couple is now headed to Hawaii for their honeymoon.
